Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Vietnam & Cambodia Jan 2014

Say yes to cool Angkor & Huda beer - just US$0.50 per can

 " No dream is too big, so don't be afraid to chase it "

" Remember you had retired but not fired. You have now take on a new path & re-fired "

" Let your dreams be bigger than your fears, your actions louder than your words, and your faith stronger than your feeling "

" My 10 days visit with my travel buddy (Mr Choy) to Vietnam & Cambodia (Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh, Hue, Danang & Hoi An) from 3-12/1/2014 - my 2nd visit to Vietnam and Cambodia & once again saying Good Morning to Vietnam & Good Day to Cambodia "

Travel itinerary: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) > Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam > Phnom Penh, Cambodia > Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam > Hue > Danang > Hoi An > Danang > Ho Chi Minh City > Kuala Lumpur

Total expenses incurred (10 days): US$407 = Rm1,340
Air Asia ticket: Rm$474.00 =US$144 (KL>HCM 12.00>12.55 HCM>KL 10.35>13.25)
Airport bus: Rm$10 (KL Sentral>LCCT)
Hotels: US$78.50 (7 nights)
Food: US$45
Trains: US$71
Buses: US$31
Taxis:US$3.50
Tuktuk: US$12 
Motorbike: US$1
Entrance fees: US$18.30
Exchange rate: US$1=21,080vnd (dong); Rm$1=6,407vnd; US$1=Rm$3.29 (Malaysian Ringgit); RM$1=1,220 Riel 


In Oct 2006, I visited Siem Reap of Cambodia and spent a total of 4 days just to see Angkor Wat & Tonle Sap Lake. Angkor Wat (the mother of all temples) was one of the Seven Great Wonders of the World and a must see if you plan to visit Cambodia. As for Vietnam, I visited Hanoi, Halong Bay & Catba Island in May 2007 (6 days).

So for this visit, my main focus is to explore their capital cities ie Phnom Penh (Cambodia) & Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and also extended my stay to see Hue, Danang & Hoi An in Central Vietnam.

For those who intend to visit Cambodia & Vietnam, the 4 UNESCO World Heritage sites ie Angkor Wat, Halong Bay, Hue & Hoi An are likely to be the favorite places they like to see - as for me, I have been there, done that & move on ....

Both of us had a rather depressing & distressing experience after a visit to the Killing Field of Choeung Ek & Tuol Sieng Museum in Phnom Pehn. This sort of experience was also been felt when I visited the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Krakow, Poland in May 2010. Likewise, one could gain a better perspective on the Vietnam War (1965-1973) by visiting the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh city.

January is probably a good time to visit these two countries as the weather during the day & night is pretty cool & pleasant . Land transport is convenient ie by bus from HCM city to Phonm Penh & by train to Central & North Vietnam.

Food including drinks & hotel accommodation are reasonably cheap. You will enjoy eating the Khmer curry dishes, Vietnamese pho (rice noodles), nem (spring rolls) & local drinks such as coffee, beer & fruit juices.

So bring along a stack of US dollars and be merry and have fun the moment you land in Cambodia & Vietnam ! Celebrate your arrival for a start with a jar of cool Angkor & Hanoi beer !!!

The mighty Khmer Empire

1) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Uncle Ho Chi Minh - a great hero in Vietnam

2) Hue, Vietnam (UNESCO world heritage site)

18th century Gate of The Citadel, Hue

3) Danang, Vietnam

The dragon bridge, Danang

4) Hoi An, Vietnam (UNESCO world heritage site)

Japanese bridge (1590) Hoi An

5) Phnom Penh, Cambodia

King Sihanouk's Monument
Phnom Penh

My qigong mate from USJ11, Mr Choy who was my travel buddy for this 10 day trip to Vietnam & Cambodia - keep smiling & another dream fulfilled !

" When you have your health, you are extremely rich "

Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) Jan 2014

Map of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Total expenses incurred (3 days): 1,192,000vnd + US$22 =US$78.50 (Rm258)
Hotel (Long Hostel) : US$11 x 2 = US$22
Food: 276,000vnd
Entrance fee: 15,000vnd (War Remanent Museum) + 15,000vnd (Ho Chi Minh Museum) + 30,000vnd (Independence Palace) = 60,000vnd
Airport shuttle bus (No 152) : 10,000 x 2 = 20,000vnd (Airport>Ho Chi Minh city + HCM city>Airport)
Train: 761,000vnd (Saigon>Hue)
Bus: US$11 (Ho Chi Minh city>Phnom Penh)
Taxi: 50,000vnd (Hotel>Saigon train station) + 25,000vnd (Saigon train station>Hotel) = 75,000vnd

1) Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam


2) Ga Saigon (Train Station), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Saigon train station
17.5 hr train ride from Saigon to Hue
Air-conditioned, TV & soft seat

3) Saigon Traffic - horrendous but a terrific experience ! 


4) Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Built in 1877 - am I in Paris ?

5) Ho Chi Minh City Hall, Vietnam


6) Ho Chi Minh Monument, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam

Uncle of the Vietnamese People
(1890-1969)

7) People's Council & People's Committee Building, 86, Le Thanh Ton Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam


8) Union Square, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam



9) Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ben Thanh Market - Built in 1914

10) Walkabout (Day & Night) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Parkson Departmental Store
Malaysian owned

11) Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (Revolutionary Museum), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

built in 1886 - amazing building
 
the anti colonial movement by activists
the communist struggle for power

12) Independence Palace, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

 
 
 
  

13) War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam



14) US armored vehicles, infantry weapons, planes, helicopters on display outside of the museum


14) Artillery pieces, bombs, shells & mines on display inside of the museum







15) Tiger cages in exhibition



16) Photos of war correspondents & photographers died during the Vietnam war



17) Highlights of pictures & photos taken during the Vietnam war

 
 

18) Pictures of deformed children caused by the widespread use of chemical herbicides


19) Vietnamese death caused by the Vietnam war

58,000 US troops died during the Vietnam war

20) Statements made by relevant authorities on the Vietnam war

  

Long Hostel, 373/10 Pham Ngu Lao St, Ho Chi Minh City

 15 mins walk from the Ben Thanh market - not a Long walk
lots of hostels for you to choose along the Pham Ngu Lao St
US$22 for a standard twin private en suite
free breakfast - banana crepe & coffee


) Happy hours - grab a beer or coffee & let's chat till the wee hours

If you're tired, just relax &
enjoy a local beer or coffee
Bia College in HCM City

) Tasty Vietnamese Food & Drink - just eat & eat; drink & drink (a cool beer, please - you will end up as a professional beer drinker when in Vietnam) !

Drink until you walk like a mud crab !
 Pho for breakfast, lunch & dinner ?
US$2.30 for a hot Pho beef noodle
US$2.40 for a bowl of beef ball Pho rice noodle
US$3.80  - 2 spring rolls & pork chop
US$1.50 - mixed rice with vege & frog meat
US$4.50 for this dinner vegetable meal for 2
US$7 for 3 plates of rice rolls & pork paste

Mobile food vendors - street food nicely prepared for you, very appetizing

US$0.75 for a Banh Mi